Apparatus for causing an impact force on the interior of a well pipe

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for compactly placing a material such as gravel in a well bore exteriorly of a casing at a substantial depth by vibrating the stationary casing through the use of one or more devices positioned in the casing that are actuated by manipulation, rotation or reciprocation, of a drill pipe extending to the surface of the well. The device includes a member which is spring biased and movable relative to the drill pipe with a latch element for repeatedly biasing and releasing the member to impact the casing during continued manipulation of the drill pipe.

United States Patent 11 1 Solum 1 Nov. 6, 1973 I [54] APPARATUS FOR CAUSING AN IMPACT 736,219 8/1903 Clark 166/171 FORCE ON THE IN OF A WELL 2,309,791 2/1943 Sanders..... 166/286 X PIPE 2,574,141 11/1951 Brown 166/177 X 2,641,927 6/1953 Grable et 31.. 166/177 X [75] Inventor: James R. Solum, Huntington Beach, 2,700,422 H1955 Bodine .166/177 X Calif, 3,101,499 8/1963 Greenfield 166/177 X 3,527,300 9/1970 Phillips 166/177 X [73] Asslgneez B & W Incorporated, Torrance,

Cahf' Primary ExaminerDavid H. Brown 221 Filed: Mar. 29, 1971 Attorney-Lyon & y

Related U.S. Application Data An apparatus for compactly placing a material such as [62] Division of Ser. N0. 786,283, Dec. 23, 1968, Pat. NO. gravel in a w bore exteriorly of a casing at a Substan- 3,661,209. tial depth by vibrating the stationary casing through the use of one or more devices positioned in the casing that [52] U.S. Cl. 166/177, 166/51 are actuated by manipulation, rotation or reciproca- [51] Int. Cl E2lb 43/04 tion, of a drill pipe extending to the surface of the well. [58] Field of Search 166/249, 278, 286, The device includes a member which is spring biased 166/51, 177, 171 and movable relative to the drill pipe with a latch element for repeatedly biasing and releasing the member [56] References Cited to impact the casing during continued manipulation of UNITED STATES PATENTS thevdrill P p 2,730,176 l/1956 Herbold 166/177 11 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures APPARATUS CAUSING AN IMPACT FORCE ON THE INTERIOR OF A WELL PIPE CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a division of the co-pending application, Ser. No. 786,283 filed Dec. 23, 1968 and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 3,661,209 entitled Method for Compactly Placing Material In a Well.

This invention relates to a new apparatus for compactly placing the material in the annulus of a well bore in which there is positioned a liner or casing. In particular the apparatus is usable in conventional procedures such as gravel packing of oil wells to improve the compaction of the gravel or the cementing of the casing in a well bore.

There are numerous operations and processes performed in the drilling and completion of oil or water wells which involve placing a fluid or granular material in the annular space between the exterior of a well pipe and the wall of the well bore and in most situations it is highly desirable to achieve the maximum possible compaction or fill of material in the annular space. One such process employed in both water and oil wells that exhibit certain undesirable conditions such as producing fine sand with the production fluid is commonly known as gravel packing" which involves positioning a perforated or slotted liner in the well boro and filling the annular space with accurately sized gravel to pre clude the intrusion of the sands. Obviously any voids,

cavities or loose placement of the gravel in the annulus will detract from the overall beneficial effect desired. During the gravel packing process it is impossible to move the slotted liner once the filling of the annular space is started and therefore it has heretofore been impossible to beneficially affect the degree of gravel fill or compaction other than by careful dispersion of the gravel in the carryingfluid or the application of extreme fluid pressure which is often undersirable.

In still other operations involving the filling of the annular space exterior of a casing with a particular material, such as in cementing the casing,'it is usually possible and is relatively common .to rotate or reciprocate the casing to, in part, enhance the material fill. However in some well conditions it is impossible to move the casing as for example in highly deviated wells where the operator must be satisfied to merely run the casing to the desired location and he cannot risk damaging or sticking the casing by attempting rotation or reciprocation. 1

Accordingly it is a principal object of this invention to provide a novel apparatus for mechanically vibrating a liner or casing positioned at a remote depth in a well by providing a. mechanical device within the liner or casing which is actuated by manipulation of a drill pipe extending to the surface of the well whereby the device impacts and vibrates the liner or casing.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel device adapted for mounting on a drill pipe string and fitting within a slotted liner with an element releasably engaging a liner slotand having a limited spring-biased movement relative to the drill pipe whereby movement of the drill pipe causes repeatedengagement and disengagement of the device with the slotted liner thereby causing vibration of the liner. A still further object is to provide such a device responsive to rotational movement of the drill pipe and having fins for also causing substantial fluid turbulence due to the repeated engagement and disengagement to further enhance the material compaction.

Still another of this invention is to provide a novel apparatus for compacting material in the annulus surrounding an immovable well casing including providing a multiplicity of impacting devices along the length of drill pipe substantially equal to the length of casing where compaction of the material is desired, manipulating the drill pipe from the well surface to cause actuation of the impacting devices to vibrate the casing and filling the annular space with the desired material during continuance of the manipulation of the drill pipe and vibration of the casing.

Other and more detailed objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings whereini FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a typical slant-drilled well in which the method and apparatus of this invention may be used for gravel packing.

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation of one form of an impact device of this invention positioned in a slotted liner pipe. 1

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation of a device shown in FIG. 2 in a position of disengagement with the slots of the liner pipe as will occur at the beginning of vibration force imposing movement of the device relative to the liner pipe. g 7

FIG. 4 is a sectional plan view of the impacting device taken substantially on'the line 4-4 in FIG. 2

The apparatus of this invention will be described specifically with respect to gravel packing wells but it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the apparatus may also be used for a variety of other processes and operations, involving the placing of material externally of a well pipe including the conventional cementation of a casing in a' well bore.

Referring now to FIG. I of the drawing, the derrick l0, ground level 11 and the initial portion 12 of the well are shown diagrammatically while the lower portion of the figure illustrates the producing zone of the well in a somewhat less diagrammatic and an enlarged scale. The lower portion of the well is shown as slant-drilled which is a relatively common practice and further illus-' trates an advantage of this invention as will appear more fully hereinafter. Further it is to be noted that while FIG. 1 illustrates a rather small deviation from a vertically drilled well, it is now becoming relatively common to slant-drill wells at angles up to diviation from vertical and with varying deviations whereby the vertical profile of the well may form a somewhat S curve. In suchwells the problems involved with placing a material and manipulating the casing are compounded and the method and apparatus of this invention become even more useful.

In a typical oil well to be gravel packed a well casing 13 will be cemented in the well bore to the depth of the producing zone 14 which may be left as open hole, as shown, or also'contain a cemented casing appropriately perforated to admit the production fluid. where the production zone 14 exhibits characteristics requiring or rendering gravel packing advantageous, a perforated or slotted liner 15 is employed having slots or.perforations of a size selected in conjunction with selection of the gravel to preclude the gravel from passing through the perforations or slots. One typical form of liner is shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 in which longitudinal slots 16 are cut in the liner in circumferentially spaced relationship.

The appropriate length of liner is run into the well bore with a releasing tool 17 connected to the top of the liner and a so called cross-over tool 18 thereabove. When appropriately manipulated at the conclusion of the gravel packing the releasing tool 17 serves to disconnect-the liner 15 from the cross-over tool 18 and drill pipe 19 used to lower the liner into the well. Conventional well packers and liner hangers may also be used but do not form any part of this invention and therefore have been omitted for simplicity. As is well known, the cross-over tool 18 includes resilient sealing elements 20 and appropriate upper and lower ports 21 and 22, respectively, whereby fluid pumped downwardly through drill pipe 19 will flow outwardly through the lower port 22 into the annular space externally of the liner l5 and fluid returning internally of the liner 15 will flow outwardly through upper port 21 into the annular space between the casing 13 and drill pipe 19 to return to the well surface. In this manner the gravel dispersed in fluid may be pumped downwardly through drill pipe 19 and pass through cross-over tool 18 into the annular space externally of liner 15 to deposit the gravel in the space, allowing the fluid to enter the slots 16 and return to the well surface in the annular space between casing 13 and drill pipe 19. As thus far described, the gravel packing procedure and the tools are somewhat conventional.

In order to accomplish the method of this invention, a length of drill pipe 23 or other relatively strong pipe, such as a thick-walled wash pipe, is connected to the liner releasing tool 17 and cross-over tool 18 and extends downwardly through a substantial proportion of the slotted liner 15. The pipe 23 is connected through tools 17 and 18 in a manner whereby rotation of the drill pipe 19 from the surface of the well will cause rotation of pipe 23. The connection between releasing tool 17 and liner 15 is such that through appropriate manipulation either the liner 15 will be released or at least the pipe 23 will be rotatable relative thereto upon rotation of the drill pipe 19 during placement of the gravel.

Means are provided on the well pipe 23 for impacting and vibrating the liner l5 and, as shown in the drawings, those means may include a plurality of impacting devices, generally designated 25, positioned in spaced relation along the pipe 23. Any convenient spacing of devices 25 along pipe 23 may be used as dictated by the particular circumstances and for convenience it is contemplated that a device 25 will be provided as a coupling between each joint of pipe 23 thereby producing a spacing of aproximately feet under the usual conditions of 30 foot joints of pipe.

Referring more particularly to FIGs. 2, 3 and 4, each impacting device 25 includes a collar member 26 rotatably mounted on a section of tubing 27 which is connected by threads 28 at both ends into the string of well pipe 23. A collar or flange 29 is fixedly mounted on tubing 27 by set screw 30 and/or weld 31. The flange 29 supports the collar 26 against longitudinal downward movement as shown in the figures. A second collar or flange 32 is fixedly mounted to tubing 27 above collar 26 by set screw 33 and/or weld 34. A plurality of fins 35 are mounted on collar 26 to extend longitudinally for engaging the interior of the liner 15 partially to center the well pipe 23 within the liner 15. As shown in FIG. 4 it is preferred that three fins 35 be provided an spaced 90 apart although more or fewer fins may be used. Each fin 35 is preferably of a longitudinal length greater than the length of each slot 16 and further that the fins 35 be of a thickness to also bridge each slot 16 in the circumferential direction.

A latching and releasing mechanism is provided on the collar 26 for repeatedly connecting and disconnecting the collar from the liner pipe 15 and, as shown in the drawings, this mechanism may include a slide bar 36 mounted in collar 26 for sliding, radial movement. A compression spring 37 is captured between the base of slide bar 36 and the collar 26 to reiliently urge the slide bar 36 radially outwardly. The slide bar 36 has a tapered nose portion 38 which is sufficiently pointed to project into and engage the interior of a slot 16 in the liner 15 as shown in FIG. 2. The upper and lower extremities of the nose portion 38 may be rouunded as shown to permit longitudinal engry into and exit from the slots 16 as the well pipe 23 is moved longitudinally relative to the liner pipe 15. A coil torsion spring 40 encircles tubing 27 between collar 26 and flange 32 and has one end 41 anchored to flange 32 such as by a bolt 42. The other end 43 of coil torsion spring 40 is connected to the slide bar 36 such as by a bolt 44. Thus rotation of collar 32 relative to collar 26 will cause stressing of the spring 40. Since it is preferred in general oil field practice to rotate drill pipe in a right-hand direction to avoid unthreadly, th spring 40 is coiled in a counter-clockwise direction proceeding from end 41 to end 43 when viewed from above. In this manner as pipe 23 is rotated in a clockwise direction to in turn rotate collar 32 the spring 40 will be wound in a direction toward tightening on the tubing 27 since the collar 26 is held against rotation by engagement of the slide bar 36 with a slot 16. However as the coil torsion spring 40 is tightened from the unstressed condition shown in FIG. 2 toward the condition shown in FIG. 3, the spring is stressed to store energy and eventually the end 43 of the spring will pull inwardly on the slide bar 36 in opposition to the outward force of spring 37. This will pull the nose 38 of the slide bar free from a slot 16 whereupon the collar 26 will be free to rotate relative to the liner 15 and the energy stored in the torsion spring 40 will cause rapid rotation in excess of the speed of rotation of the pipe 23. During this rapid rotation of the nose portion 38 of slide bar 36 will repeatedly engage slots 15 around the circumference of liner l5 and each such engagement will produce an impact on liner 15 with a resultant vibration being induced. Eventually the speed of rotation of collar 26 will decrease to the point where the nose portion 38 of slide bar 36 will again become engaged in a slot 16 to resist rotation of collar 26 relative to liner pipe 15. Continuing rotation of well pipe 23 repeatedly causes this cycle of engagement of the slide bar 36, biasing of the torsion spring 40 and the release to produce vibration. The fins 35 and also the slide bar 36 induce substantial fluid turbulence during the rapid rotation of collar 26 to further enhance the gravel compaction.

Since the impacting devices are provided in space relation along the entire length of the liner 15 the liner is effectively vibrated for its entire length but without requiring any rotational or reciprocal movement of the liner. Each impacting device 25 operates independently of the others and therefore the torsional forces induced in the well pipe 23 are not necessarily cummulative to an undesirable magnitude. Each of the impacting devices 25 may be specifically located to be directly opposite and in alignment with a circumferential series of slots 16 or merely a random placement of more than an adequate number of impacting devices 25 will naturally be positioned to engage slots 16. As an alterntive, and in unslotted casing and liners, the interior of the liner casing may be provided with longitudinal grooves or fixedly mounted bars to engage the slide bar 36 for producing the vibrational forces. In addition to the beneficial vibration produced by rotation of the drill pipe 19 during placement of the gravel, such rotation also serves to maintain the gravel dispersed in fluid suspension while being pumped downwardly through the drill pipe and prevents any gravel from accumulating at the couplings between joints of drill pipe which would otherwise occur with well bores inclined at substantial angles from the vertical. It is to be noted that .the connections between joints of liner pipe should be made extremely tight or even permanent by welding since the vibrational and torsional shock forces induced by the impacting devices may otherwise tend to unthread the joints of liner pipe, particularly if the upper end of the liner pipe is secured against rotation such as by a liner hanger.

Having fully described my invention in connection .with a specific embodiment of the impacting device 25 which is actuated by rotation of the drill pipe and further in specific connection with a gravel packing process for clarity of understanding and description of the invention, it is to be understood and will readily appear to those skilled in the art that my invention may be performed by and include impacting devices having a variety of constructions and is applicable to numerous processes in the completion of wells and therefore is not to be limited to the herein described embodiment and method.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for compacting material in the annular space exteriorly of a casing positioned in a well bore at a desired location remote from the surface, comprising a drill pipe-extending from the surface to the desired remote location of the casing, an impact device for connecting to said drill pipe and having means for engaging the interior of the casing and repeatedly imparting a physical striking force to the casing upon a predetermined movement of the device by the drill pipe, said means including spring biasing means for mechanically storing energy upon said predetermined movement and means for releasing said energy to cause said physical striking force, said impact device being mounted on said drill pipe at a position within said casing at said desired remote location and operable by said predetermied drill pipe movement for causing vibration of the casing an compaction of the surrounding material.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a multiplicity of impact devices are mounted on said drill pipein spaced relation along the entire length of the casing exteriorly of which the material is to be placed, and said impact devices are independent of each other and separately operated by said predetermined movement of the drill pipe.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 for use in a casing having an irregular internal surface wherein said means for releasing said energy comprises a latch means for sequentially engaging and disengaging the casing irregular internal surface to in turn store and release, respectively, said energy.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 for use with a casing that is a slotted linerwherein said latch means includes an element for releaseably fitting into the liner slots.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said impact device includes a rotatably mounted collar on which said latch means is mounted for controlling the rotation of said collar, and said spring biasing means is a torsion spring connected between said collar and said drill pipe.

6. An apparatus for compacting material in the annulus exteriorly of a casing in a well bore at a remote depth through the use of a drill pipe, comprising: an assembly mounted on the drill pipe for positioning in the casing and including an impact member movable relative to the drill pipe, spring biasing means engaging and urging said impact member in a given direction of movement relative to the drill pipe, and sai impact member including a release mechanism operable .for allowing said impact member to be urged by said spring biasing means in said given direction and impart an impact force on the casing; and said assembly operable by manipulation of the drill pipe from the well surface for sequentially stressing said spring biasing means in a direction to urge said impact member in said given direction, operating said release mechanism to produce said impact force on the casing, and then repeating the sequence upon continued manipulation of the drill pipe.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said release mechanism includes means for resiliently engaging the interior of the casing to inhibit movement of the said assembly relative to the casing and continued manipulation of the drill pipe causes a release of the resilient engagement for in turn causing said impact force.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said impact member is rotatable relative to drill pipe and said' spring biasing means comprises a concentrically wound torsion spring connected to said impact member 9. An apparatus for compacting granular material in the annulus exteriorly of a slotted liner in a well bore at a remote depth through the use of a drill pipe extending into a substantial portion of the liner comprising: a

' limiting the axial movement of the collar relative to the drill pipe, a coil torsion spring encircling each said tubular mandrel and having two ends joined respectively to said mandrel and collar for resilient movement of said collar relative to the drill pipe, and a releaseable latch mechanism mounted on each said collar for engaging the slots of the liner and operable for causing said collar to be held against rotation upon rotation of the drill pipe to thereby stress said torsion spring with said latch mechanism releaseable upon predetermined stressing of said spring to rapidly rotate said collar and impart a vibrational and impact forces on the casing; and each assembly of mandrel, collar, spring and latch mechanism being independently operable by the rotation of the drill pipe from the well surface for sequentially holding said collar against rotation, stressing said spring to urge said collar in a given direction, and operating said release mechanism to produce said rapid rotation and impact forces on the liner, and repeating the sequence upon continued rotation of the drill pipe.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said latch mechanism includes a slide bar biased radially outward from the collar and having a tapered hose portion for the stressing of said torsion spring to impose an inward engaging the liner slots. biasingforce on said slide bar tending to cause said rell. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein one said end lease.

of said torsion spring is connected to said slide bar for 

1. An apparatus for compacting material in the annular space exteriorly of a casing positioned in a well bore at a desired location remote from the surface, comprising a drill pipe extending from the surface to the desired remote location of the casing, an impact device for connecting to said drill pipe and having means for engaging the interior of the casing and repeatedly imparting a physical striking force to the casing upon a predetermined movement of the device by the drill pipe, said means including spring biasing means for mechanically storing energy upon said predetermined movement and means for releasing said energy to cause said physical striking force, said impact device being mounted on said drill pipe at a position within said casing at said desired remote location and operable by said predetermied drill pipe movement for causing vibration of the casing an compaction of the surrounding material.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a multiplicity of impact devices are mounted on said drill pipe in spaced relation along the entire length of the casing exteriorly of which the material is to be placed, and said impact devices are independent of each other and separately operated by said predetermined movement of the drill pipe.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 for use in a casing having an irregular internal surface wherein said means for releasing said energy comprises a latch means for sequentially engaging and disengaging the casing irregular internal surface to in turn store and release, respectively, said energy.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 for use with a casing that is a slotted linerwherein said latch means includes an element for releaseably fitting into the liner slots.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said impact device includes a rotatably mounted collar on which said latch means is mounted for controlling the rotation of said collar, and said spring biasing means is a torsion spring connected between said collar and said drill pipe.
 6. An apparatus for compacting material in the annulus exteriorly of a casing in a well bore at a remote depth through the use of a drill pipe, comprising: an assembly mounted on the drill pipe for positioning in the casing and including an impact member movable relative to the drill pipe, spring biasing means engaging and urging said impact member in a given direction of movement relative to the drill pipe, and said impact member including a release mechanism operable for allowing said impact member to be urged by said spring biasing means in said given direction and impart an impact force on the casing; and said assembly operable by manipulation of the drill pipe from the well surface for sequentially stressing saId spring biasing means in a direction to urge said impact member in said given direction, operating said release mechanism to produce said impact force on the casing, and then repeating the sequence upon continued manipulation of the drill pipe.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said release mechanism includes means for resiliently engaging the interior of the casing to inhibit movement of the said assembly relative to the casing and continued manipulation of the drill pipe causes a release of the resilient engagement for in turn causing said impact force.
 8. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said impact member is rotatable relative to drill pipe and said spring biasing means comprises a concentrically wound torsion spring connected to said impact member
 9. An apparatus for compacting granular material in the annulus exteriorly of a slotted liner in a well bore at a remote depth through the use of a drill pipe extending into a substantial portion of the liner comprising: a plurality of tubular mandrels mounted in spaced relation in the drill pipe for positioning in the liner, a collar rotatably mounted on each tubular mandrel and means limiting the axial movement of the collar relative to the drill pipe, a coil torsion spring encircling each said tubular mandrel and having two ends joined respectively to said mandrel and collar for resilient movement of said collar relative to the drill pipe, and a releaseable latch mechanism mounted on each said collar for engaging the slots of the liner and operable for causing said collar to be held against rotation upon rotation of the drill pipe to thereby stress said torsion spring with said latch mechanism releaseable upon predetermined stressing of said spring to rapidly rotate said collar and impart a vibrational and impact forces on the casing; and each assembly of mandrel, collar, spring and latch mechanism being independently operable by the rotation of the drill pipe from the well surface for sequentially holding said collar against rotation, stressing said spring to urge said collar in a given direction, and operating said release mechanism to produce said rapid rotation and impact forces on the liner, and repeating the sequence upon continued rotation of the drill pipe.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said latch mechanism includes a slide bar biased radially outward from the collar and having a tapered hose portion for engaging the liner slots.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein one said end of said torsion spring is connected to said slide bar for the stressing of said torsion spring to impose an inward biasing force on said slide bar tending to cause said release. 